How to make collaged Valentines

Something I am thinking about a lot these days is scope. I often start these projects for myself and my kids that we just can't (don't) finish. Valentines are a perfect example - it is common in this house for the first-made Valentines to be wayyyyyyyy better (sometimes this just means finished) than the last. This tutorial, while not a time saver per se, is a guaranteed equalizer!

1. Gather. You will need one piece of heavy paper or cardstock for your collage, scissors, magazine pictures (or stickers, colored paper, whatever you have), glue and card-making supplies (cardstock and envelopes if desired).

2. Select. Encourage your child to pick images that s/he loves. For this project, it is a good idea to select three small images for every one big image.

3. Arrange. Ask your child to cut around pictures as desired and put them on the page without gluing them. Now, check for white space - is this ok with you? If not, look through your scraps and fill in (usually scraps of paper in pleasing colors will do the trick).

4. Glue. With glue sticks, adhere your pictures to your page - try to glue as thoroughly as possible. Remind your young artist that there is no wrong way to collage and "straight" and "orderly" won't make today's final product any better.

5. Dry and Cut. Allow your collage to dry completely. Now, pick a shape. Cut a piece of cardstock out that will be the size as your finished card - from that card, draw and cut out your shape. Remember that the smaller your card is, the more shapes you will be able to cut from your collage.

6. Trace. When your collage is dry, turn it over and trace your heart in as many places as possible without looking at your collage.

7. Cut out your shapes.

8. Assemble. Glue your hearts to your cards and write on them as you please. If you want to embellish your envelopes, use the scraps. [Consider postcards if your child just wants to sign his/her name and be done!]

Viola!

Notes:
For younger children, the shape should be larger, so that more pictures show up in each shape.


If your child only wants to make one collage and you have a big class/group to give Valentines to, color photocopy the collage before cutting it. 


This project can "grow up" into other things. Here is this method using art paper in a specific color scheme. These hearts adorned wedding program covers.

xo!